Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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I will keep it strictly to a few minutes. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. I have a few issues to raise and I will start with Local Link Cork because time is of the essence. I am involved in Local Link Cork and I have seen the incredible delivery it has given to the people throughout west Cork. In fairness, the NTA deserves praise for giving sufficient funding to Local Link Cork, but I have to say the manager, David O'Brien, and the chairman of the company, Nealie O'Leary, have delivered meticulously. I can be very critical at times on certain things that happen in rural Ireland, but I cannot say anything about this because I never hear anybody complain. Cork is a huge sprawling county with people from Bere Island into Kilcrohane, Ballydehob, Lisheen and Skibbereen. A new service from Clonakilty to Kinsale was funded recently by the NTA. It has increased many services into Timoleague, Kilbrittain, Barryroe and Courtmacsherry. On the other side we have Bantry, Drimoleague and Dunmanway. The service is second to none. I concur with the Chairman, in that we have our own fleet of buses and they are ageing to a point, and this may be an area where stronger funds need to be directed going down the road, but the delivery on the ground is second to none.

There is one issue that-----